I recently visited Chicago and the Navy Pier, a concept Long Beach could have implemented on some scale in the Pike area instead of the sorry excuse they came up with, so nothing surprises me. We tried in early May to get reservations at the Skyroom restaurant in downtown Long Beach on the Fourth of July. They were already completely booked. I bet they've had cancellations now, along with a lot of other hotels and restaurants in the area.

What makes the City Council think that, by cancelling the fireworks, people won't be letting off fireworks on the beach anyway? I think the council is just putting the screws to [QM operator] Joe Prevratil because of all the Queen Mary issues.

They should split the cost and get on with it. I was born in Long Beach on the 5th of July and have lived my whole life here. I don't remember ever not having fireworks for my birthday!